


Older

by Anonymous



Category: Loki (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Accidental Child Acquisition, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Coming of Age, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Family Issues, Family Secrets, Fatherhood, Implied Lokipreg, Infinity Stones, Intersex Loki (Marvel), Kid Fic, M/M, Motherhood, Odin's Parenting (Marvel), Other, Parallel Universes, Parenthood, Pre-Thor (2011), Protective Loki (Marvel), Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-23 23:34:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30063267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: There was a child in Thor’s arms.
Relationships: Frigga | Freyja & Loki (Marvel), Loki/Thor (Marvel)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 82
Collections: Anonymous





	Older

**_The older I get the more that I see  
My parents aren't heroes, they're just like me..._ **

Thor did not understand why his friends were so worried. It was hardly the first time he left them to enjoy a maiden’s company. Admittedly, he did not usually meet them in the middle of the woods, but who was he to judge such a beautiful creature if she relished her solitude? Loki affectioned his alone time and Thor granted it to him, mostly. He couldn’t help but wonder what his brother was up to, reading or rummaging around the Palace’s library without a doubt. A small but fond smile stretched his lips at the thought.

The young woman who had been herding him by the hand towards what he supposed was her home paused and frowned. He opened his mouth with the intention to dazzle her with his wit and charm when suddenly, her head snapped towards a bunch of bushes. Her gaze traveled between them and Thor before she recoiled in fright and horror. He blinked, confused, and she ran. 

Thor hesitated to follow her but his curiosity got the best of him and he approached the bushes slowly. However, he heard footsteps in his back and turned around before he caught sight of whatever had scared his soon-to-be lover away. 

Sif and the Warriors Three barreled into view. 

“Thor!” his friends exclaimed almost at once. “It’s a huldra!”

“In the bushes?” Thor asked, overly confused now. Hogun frowned. Volstagg and Fandral opened their mouths but said nothing. It was Sif who answered him: “The Maiden.”

“Is she in the bushes?” Fandral enquired as he advanced towards them, his sword at the ready. Hogun stopped him with a hand on one of his shoulders, his unwavering gaze focused on the designated vegetation.

Thor shook his head.

“Something frightened her,” he said. 

They exchanged confused looks. Huldras were forest spirits and as such, immortals, as long as they kept to their woods. They also preyed on young unmarried men, which they both used as lovers and... food. Sort of? Thor didn’t know the details but he knew his family must never hear of the incident or he would never hear the end of it. Loki, in particular -

“You can come now,” Hogun said, bringing Thor back to the moment at hand, his own extended towards the bushes. He sat on his heels, a small but friendly smile stretching his lips.

Thor heard a faint rustling of leaves, confirming something was in fact hiding amongst the vegetation, but whatever it was, did not take Hogun’s offered hand. 

“The creature is gone. It is safe,” the warrior tried again, before adding, almost as an afterthought: “We will not hurt you.”

More rustling but still the thing kept to its hiding place. They all converged to Hogun’s side to try and get a pick at whatever or whoever he was talking to. Volstagg sat heavily on the forest ground and then winced when Hogun gave him a reproachful glance. There were more noises. 

“Oh,” Volstagg breathed and his eyes widened as he finally saw the thing.

“What is it?” Fandral asked from where he was hovering over his friends with Sif and Thor.

“Well aren’t you the cutest?” Volstagg said instead of answering him. “Come youngling. I swear we truly mean no arm. We are warriors: Prince Thor, Lady Sif, and the Warriors Three, you may have heard of us?”

Nothing but he exchanged a look with Hogun.

“Perhaps you should try to coerce her yourself, Your Highness?” Volstagg said, knowing better than to be overly familiar when asking something from their Prince.

Thor raised a brow, mildly bored already, but squatted down next to his friends. It didn’t take him long to catch sight of the child huddled inside the bush. 

“Aye Kid,” he said simply, plastering a charming smile on his face.

More rustling. Thor thought he had frightened her at first but then realized she was now holding something in her small hands and he tensed. The child finally came forward, albeit slowly, and Thor’s blood turned to ice. The child held a weapon but not any weapon, it was…

“Is that?” Fandral asked, almost choking on the words.

Hogun nodded as Thor’s hand flew to his belt. Sure enough, Moljnir was missing from his side.

“The huldra must have compelled you to give it up,” Sif reasoned also she sounded just as shocked as her friends felt.

Truth was, even if she was right, it did not explain how the child managed to lift Thor’s personal weapon, crafted for his hand, and his hand only, like if Moljnir was some kind of oversize baby rattle. Thor blinked, hard. Then noticed the child was actually holding the hammer back to him.

He called and Moljnir flew the few inches separating his hand from the child’s. A small victory. But he didn’t get to ponder about it as the child now held up both hands towards him.

“I believe she wishes to be picked up,” Volstagg commented, unable to completely hide his amusement. 

Thor merely stared down at the child. Most, if not all of them, usually cowered when he did so. She just stood there, arms up, seemingly convinced he would cave. 

“What are we to do with her?” Fandral asked warily.

“We take her back to the village of course,” Sif replied, rolling her eyes.

“And we just forget about the fact some random child picked up Thor’s mighty hammer?” Fandral shot back before wincing ever-so-slightly. 

Thor didn’t openly acknowledge his slip-up because, whether he liked it or not, Fandral had a point. If something was wrong with Moljnir, he needed to fix it and quickly. 

Thor let it escape his grip and fall to the ground. 

“Try it,” he ordered his companions when they looked at him in confusion.

Also, they quietly exchanged uneasy glances, they did what they were told and tried lifting the hammer, one after the other, without ever getting close to making it budge. Finally, Thor nodded at the child. She was obviously confused but held her little hand in the weapon’s direction and it flew from the ground, remarkably more gentle than when called by its original owner.

Thor sighed but this time when she held up her arms, he picked her up in his. She immediately hid her face under his chin, holding on to his neck for dear life, while still somehow gripping Moljnir in one of her hands. Which was a good thing considering Thor was busy figuring out what to do with his. She felt even smaller than she looked and he couldn’t help but worry he might inadvertently hurt her. At some point, he settled with one arm under her bottom and a hand on her back.

“Do you have a name, young lady?” Volstagg asked right before they started walking back towards the closest village.

They probably should have started by that, Thor thought as he craned his neck to try and see the child’s face, but she persisted to hide it against his shoulder. 

“Did some monster got your tongue?” he asked her, teasing, if somewhat awkwardly.

But she did peer at him from under their combined hairs and lightly shook her head.

“Can you tell Volstagg your name then?” Thor added. 

He caught himself holding his breath as they waited for her answer.

“Thrudy,” she said finally and he perked up upon hearing the name.

“Like the Valkyrie? She’s like, my favorite warrior ever!” Thor babbled and he could have sworn he saw Thrudy smile before she hid her face again. “She was their leader...”

He spent the full walk back to the village retelling his favorite stories about the legendary Thrud and did not notice he was lulling the girl to sleep before he felt Moljnir bounce against his back. She woke up, somewhat grumpily, when they reached their destination and Thor found himself smiling as she reminded him of Loki and his childhood post-nap tantrum. Also, she was definitely quieter, her half-scowl, half-pout was perfectly on point.

“Daddy, where are we?” she half-asked, half-whined, as only children knew how-to while rubbing at her eyes with her ridiculously small hands.

Thor blinked, opened his mouth, then hesitated. It felt harsh to tell a child one wasn’t their father. That and he was slightly worried she would start crying if she realized she was alone, away from her parents.

“At the village,” he said finally. 

“What about Mommy?” Thrudy asked then.

“I don’t know, Kid.”

* * *

There was a child in Thor’s arms.

Hardly an ordinary souvenir gift from his brother’s adventures amongst the realms. Not that the practice was unheard of. (Not that Loki knew how ironic his train of thoughts really was.) More simply both unbecoming and uncharacteristic of Asgard’s Crown Prince. Ales, liquors, weapons, as well as bits and pieces of strange creatures killed by his hands, were Thor’s usual trophies. Not little girls. Not even women, also it was no secret he enjoyed the latters’ company. 

The vision was surprising enough, it took an embarrassing amount of time for Loki to notice the giant in the room; the child was holding Moljnir. 

It should have been impossible. None but Asgard’s future and present Kings were worthy of the mighty weapon, Loki thought as he followed Frigga out of the shadows. Could it be -? Was Thor so utterly foolish and arrogant to have fathered a child out of wedlock? The mere idea was nauseating. However, Loki did not get to ponder about it as the child suddenly opened her mouth :

“Mommy? Mommy!” she exclaimed while scrambling out of Thor’s hold, kicking him in the stomach and dropping Moljnir all at once.

It was quite a scene and Loki may have laughed at the sight of his brother flailing as he tried to both catch the girl and the hammer before they touched the ground if the girl hadn’t been looking, and then running, straight at him. Instead, Loki stood frozen while the girl held up her arms towards him.

“She does that,” Thor said, unhelpfully, and just as dumbfounded as everybody else in the room.


End file.
